Is it cheaper to live in Houston or Chicago for monthly utilities?

Chicago, IL is approximately 1% cheaper than Houston, TX in average monthly utilities ($365/mo vs $370/mo), saving approximately $5 per month or $60 annually.

What is the average water and sewer bill in Houston compared to Chicago?

In Houston, the minimum water and sewer base meter charge is $32.00/month with Tier 1 volumetric water priced at $4.10 per 1,000 gallons. In Chicago, baseline fixed meter fees are $36.00/month with Tier 1 water at $4.40 per 1,000 gallons.

How do weather and climate affect seasonal utility bills in Houston vs Chicago?

Houston experiences 3380 Cooling Degree Days (CDD) with a peak summer AC cost spike of 65%, whereas Chicago records 1050 CDD with a summer spike of 38%. Heating Degree Days (HDD) are 1320 in Houston versus 6100 in Chicago.

Houston, TX vs Chicago, IL Utility Costs Comparison (2026)

Interactive Simulation

Household Sizing Simulator

Select your home type to adjust estimated monthly consumption for Houston and Chicago.

Houston Est.

$370/mo

Power:$145

Water & Sewer:$94

Gas & Trash:$96

Projected Variance

+$5/mo

Chicago saves your household roughly $60 per year at this consumption tier.

Chicago Est.

$365/mo

Power:$161

Water & Sewer:$89

Gas & Trash:$100

Head-to-Head Utility Tariff Breakdown

Direct comparison of published rates, electric tariffs, and municipal meter charges.

EIA-861 Calibrated

Utility Component	Houston, TX	Chicago, IL
⚡ Residential Electric Rate ($/kWh)	$0.152 / kWh	$0.162 / kWh
Electric Monthly Customer Base Fee	$8.50/mo	$15.50/mo
Electric Provider & Market Structure	CenterPoint Energy (REP Choice) Deregulated REP Market	ComEd (Commonwealth Edison) Deregulated REP Market
♨️ Natural Gas Rate ($/Therm)	$1.12 / Therm	$1.25 / Therm
Natural Gas Fixed Customer Charge	$17.50/mo	$34.50/mo
💧 Water Base Meter Charge (5/8" - 3/4")	$17.20/mo	$18.00/mo
Water Tier 1 Volumetric (per 1,000 gal)	$4.10	$4.40
Water Tier 2 Conservation (per 1,000 gal)	$6.80	$6.20
Wastewater / Sewer Rates	Base: $14.80/mo Volumetric: $6.20/1k gal	Base: $18.00/mo Volumetric: $4.40/1k gal
🗑️ Curbside Solid Waste & Recycling	$28.00/mo	$9.50/mo
Stormwater Drainage Clean Water Fee	$9.50/mo	$0.00/mo
Initial Move-in Deposit / Connection Fee	Deposit: $150 – $350 (REP-specific) Turn-on: $30.00	Deposit: $150 – $300 Turn-on: $25.00

Climate & Seasonal HVAC Load Drivers

NOAA degree-day data dictating peak air conditioning and heating power spikes.

NOAA 1991–2020 Normals

Climate Indicator	Houston, TX	Chicago, IL
☀️ Cooling Degree Days (CDD)	3,380 CDD	1,050 CDD
❄️ Heating Degree Days (HDD)	1,320 HDD	6,100 HDD
Peak Summer AC Bill Volatility	+65% Summer Spike	+38% Summer Spike
Regional Climate Summary	Tropical coastal moisture creates extreme dehumidification load from May through October.	Continental climate with severe winter cold and heating loads, plus hot humid summer cycles.

Clean Energy & Solar Economics

Rooftop solar irradiance and net metering rules to mitigate high utility bills.

NREL Solar Data

Solar Component	Houston, TX	Chicago, IL
☀️ Daily Peak Sun Hours	4.8 hrs/day	4.4 hrs/day
Net Metering / Export Compensation	CenterPoint territory with retail electric provider solar buyback plans and battery peak export incentives.	Illinois Shines (IPA) solar rebates + ComEd full 1:1 net metering credit.
City Solar Calculator	Houston Solar Estimator →	Chicago Solar Estimator →

🏙️ Houston Official Estimator

Houston, TX Utility Calculator

Access the interactive multi-utility calculator, municipal moving checklists, and verified billing schedules for Houston.

ZIP: houston Open Houston Hub →

🏙️ Chicago Official Estimator

Chicago, IL Utility Calculator

Access the interactive multi-utility calculator, municipal moving checklists, and verified billing schedules for Chicago.

ZIP: chicago Open Chicago Hub →

Common Inquiries

Frequently Asked Questions: Houston vs Chicago

Direct answers to key cost of living and utility comparison questions.

Is it cheaper to live in Houston or Chicago for utilities? ▼

Chicago, IL is approximately 1% cheaper than Houston, TX in overall monthly utility bills ($365/mo vs $370/mo). A typical household saves around $5 per month or $60 annually.

How do residential electric rates compare per kilowatt-hour? ▼

Residential electricity in Houston costs $0.152 per kWh supplied by CenterPoint Energy (REP Choice), compared to $0.162 per kWh in Chicago served by ComEd (Commonwealth Edison). For a home consuming 1,000 kWh per month, this rate difference accounts for $10.00 in monthly energy charges before fixed customer meter charges.

What is the water and sewer rate difference between Houston and Chicago? ▼

In Houston, the minimum fixed water meter charge is $17.20/mo plus $14.80/mo sewer baseline. In Chicago, the base water fee is $18.00/mo with $18.00/mo sewer baseline. Volumetric Tier 1 water is $4.10/1k gal in Houston versus $4.40/1k gal in Chicago.

How does weather and climate impact summer and winter power bills? ▼

Houston logs 3,380 Cooling Degree Days with a 65% summer AC bill surge. Conversely, Chicago records 1,050 CDD with a 38% summer surge. Heating Degree Days measure 1,320 in Houston versus 6,100 in Chicago.

Related Metro Comparisons

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📍 Popular Comparisons for Houston

Houston vs San Antonio, TX $370 vs $310 → Houston vs Dallas, TX $370 vs $355 → Houston vs New York City, NY $370 vs $440 → Houston vs Los Angeles, CA $370 vs $395 →

📍 Popular Comparisons for Chicago

Chicago vs New York City, NY $365 vs $440 → Chicago vs Los Angeles, CA $365 vs $395 → Chicago vs Phoenix, AZ $365 vs $390 → Chicago vs Philadelphia, PA $365 vs $380 →

Houston, TX vs Chicago, IL

Houston

Chicago

Executive Summary & Citability Passage